Transmission operating mechanism



Nov. 28, 1950 H. w. PRICE TRANSMISSION OPERATING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Jan. 13, 1943 E m M HAROLD W PIP/CE ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 H. w. PRICE TRANSMISSION OPERATING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 13, 1943 INVENTOE. HAROLD W P ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 H. w. PRICE mnsmsszou OPERATING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Jan. 13, 1943 II' II mp w mw w. m H

Nov. 28, 1950 |-l.'w. PRICE 2,531,701

TRANSMISSION OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 13, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII mum-nu INVENTOR HAROLD W PIP/CE ATTORNEY Nov. 28, 1950 H. w. PRICE 2,531,701

TRANSMISSION OPERATING MECHANISM Original Filed Jan. 13, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. HAROLD w PRICE BY A7 TORNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1950 TRANSMISSION OPERATING MECHANISM Harold W. Price, Bradenton, Fia., asaignor to Bendix Aviation Corporation,

South Bend, Ind.,

a corporation of Delaware Original application Janu ary 13, 1943, Serial No. Q Divided and this application December 12, 1947, Serial No. 791,197

Claims. I

This invention relates in general to transmission operating mechanism and more particularly to means for Operating a six speeds forward and two speed reverse transmission mechanism constituting a part of the power plant of a motor vehicle. One of the objects of my invention is to provide an improved mechanism for obtaining the several speed ratios provided by the speed changing mechanism of a tank used for military purposes. It is apparent, however, that the transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention is not limited to use in a tank, for said mechanism may, with no changes in construction; be used to operate the change-speed transmission of an automotive vehicle.

My invention also contemplates the provision of means, including a plurality of pressure differential opera ed motors, for operating the changespeed transmission mechanism of a motor vehicle, saidv mechanism being capable *of being established in any one of six forward speed settings or in either one of two reverse speed settings and including three separate nests of gears or transmission units, the gears of each nest being operable to either establish one or the other of two gear ratio settings.

Yet another object 01' my invention is to provide a mechanism adapted to operate a six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission including two series connected transmission units, said mechanism comprising two manually operable levers successively operable in two different planes to effect the operation of one of said units, one of said levers being then operable in another plane to effect the operation of the other of said units.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide means for operating a six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission mechanism ofa motor vehicle, said transmission mechanism including three separate cranks extending from the casing of the transmission; and a further object of my invention is to provide three separate'force transmitting means for operating the aforementioned three cranks and also to provide a manually operable selector lever mechanism and interlock mechanism for operating and controlling the operation of said force transmitting means, the parts of said lever and interlock mechanism being so constructed and arranged and so operative that one of said cranks and one or the other of two of said cranks are actuated before the remaining crank may be actuated.

A further object of my invention is to so convreversegear settings and including among its parts three separate cranks extending from the casing of the transmission mechanism. A further object of my invention is to include in said operating mechanism a manually operable lever member having an H movement.

An additional object of my invention is to provide means for operating a six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission including a plurality offtransmission units, said means including one lever member movable in a plurality ofdiii'erent planes and further including another lever member movable in but one plane; and a further object of my invention is to so construct the connections between said levers and the transmission mechanism as to make it impossible to move the latter lever to establish one of the transmission units in gear until the former lever is moved to neutralize another of the transmission units.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide power means for operating a multi-speed transmission mechanism of a motor vehicle, said power means including a plurality of pressure differential operated motors, a selector lever, a follow-up valve for controlling the operation of each motor and means so interconnecting the set lector lever, transmission mechanism, valve, and

the power element of each motor that the operator in moving the selector lever to operate the transmission mechanism encounters a resistance or so-called feel which isdirectly proportional to the transmission operating force exerted by the pressure diii'erential operated motor in operation.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide, in the power plant of a motor vehicle, means for operating three different transmission units or nests of gears of a six speeds forward and twospeeds reverse transmission mechanism, said means including three separate cranks extending from the casing of the transmission mechanism, two manually operated selector levers positioned #8 adjacent the driver's seat of the vehicle and three separate force transmitting means interconnecting said cranks and levers.

A further object of my invention resides in the provision of an improved selector control mechanism for use with a change-speed transmission having eight different gear ratio settings, said mechanism being adapted for manual control with a minimum of effort and a maximum of safety to the operating parts. Yet another object of my invention is to so construct said selector control mechanism that the same is manipulated with a minimum of effort and attention on the part of the driver thereby increasing the safety of vehicle driving and the comfort of the driver.

Another object of the invention is to provide means, including a selector lever member positioned adjacent the driver of a motor vehicle and having an H movement, for operating a changespeed transmission mechanism which may, by the operation of two cranks, be established in any one of three forward "gear settings or a reverse gear setting and which may then, by the operation of another crank, be established in one or the other of two settings thereby providing a transmission capable of being established in any one of six forward gear settings or either one or the other of two reverse gear settings.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein two embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example.

Figure 1 is a perspective view diagrammatic in form illustrating my transmission operating mechanism incorporated in the power plant of a tank;

Figure 2 is a view, somewhat diagrammatic in form, disclosing one embodiment of the transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention;

Figure 3 is a view, similar to Figure 2, disclosing another embodiment of the transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view, taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2 disclosing details of the interlock mechanism of the invention disclosed in the latter figure;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken through a portion of the transmission operating means disclosed in Figure 3 and disclosing the details of the interlock mechanism;

Figure 6 is a sectional view, taken on the line 6-4 of Figure 2, disclosing a part of the linkage interconnecting a part of the selector lever mechanism, a part of the transmission mechanism and a pressure differential operated motor, said linkage serving to effect the follow-up operation of the control valve of said motor and also to effect the so-called feel of the mechanism;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view disclosing the details of one of the pressure differential operated motors of the transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention, the piston, that is power element of said motor, and the parts of the control valve of said motor being in their transmission neutral position;

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 disclosing the power element of the pressure diflerential operated motor in one of its operative positions, that is in one of its gear established positions;

' Figure 9 is a view, similar to Figure 8, disclosing the power element of the pressure difler- I this figure a portion of the power plant of a military tank, said lower plant including the transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention. It is to be understood, however, that my invention is not limited in its use to a tank; for it is obvious that both the change-speed transmission Hi and the means for operating it, all as disclosed in Figure 1, might be incorporated in the power plant of an automotive vehicle, 1. e. a bus or a heavy-duty truck.

Completing the description of the power plant disclosed in Figure 1, the driver is seated in a seat l2 immediately to the rear of a steering wheel I4. A manually operated clutch pedal it, serves through the intermediary of a hydraulic master cylinder [8 and fluid transmitting conduits is to control the operation of a hydraulic and vacuum operated motor 20, said motor serving, through the intermediary of a hydraulic slave cylinder 22, to operate a clutch mechanism, not shown, actuated by a crank 24, This clutch mechanism, preferably of the friction type, serves to interconnect an internal combustion engine 26 with the aforementioned six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission disclosed in detail in Figure 10. The accelerator 28 which may be operated by the right foot of the driver, serves, by means of a link 30 and a crank 32, to operate a hydraulic master cylinder 34, the latter being connected, by a fluid transmitting conduit 36, with a throttle operating hydraulic slave cylinder 38. The throttle mechanism, not shown, operated by the cylinder 38, constitutes a part of the means for controlling the operation of the engine 26. The clutch and throttle master cylinders l2 and 34 may be supplied with their power fluid from a fluid reservoir 40.

If desired, the tank may, as disclosed in Figure 1, be provided with a supplementary set of controls mounted adjacent an assistant driver's seat 42. These controls preferably include a steering wheel 44, a clutch pedal 46 and an accelerator 48 connected respectively with the above described steering wheel l4, clutch pedal [6 and accelerator 28. The clutch and throttle controls of the driver and assistant driver are shown mechanically interconnected. A cannon 50 is shown extending from an opening in a turret 5i and the tank is of course also armed with machine guns, not shown.

The power plant of the tank disclosed in Figure 1 has only been briefly described inasmuch as my invention resides in the hereinafter described and claimed mechanism, two embodiments of which are disclosed in the drawings, for operating a six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission, such for example as the transmission disclosed in Figure 10.

Describing now this transmission mechanism, the same preferably consists of three separate nests of gears or units indicated generally by the reference numerals 52, 54 and 56. The nests of gears 54 at 56 together constitute a three speeds forward and reverse transmission unit and the nest of gears 52 provides another transmission unit. No claim is made to the transmission disclosed in Figure 10; accordingly, the same is only brieflydescribed. The nest of gears making ,up .the unit 02 may consist of, twoplanetary gear shaft 64 there is connected a crank 68 extending outside the casing of the transmission. As disclosed in Figure 10 the transmission unit 52 serves to interconnect the internal combustion engine 28 with the transmission unit 54, 58 and the unit 52 is neutralized, by the hereinafter described transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention, before either ofthe units 54 or 88 is neutralized preliminary to the operation of establishing the remaining unitin gear. N

The transmission unit 02 is connected to the units or nests of gears 54 and 56 by means of a pinion 68, ring gears 10 and I2. meshed with said pinion and shafts Hand I8 connected 'respectively with the gears 10 and I2. The nest of, gears 54 includes gears I8 and 80 rotatably mounted on the shaft I8 and a clutch member 82 slidably mounted and drivably connectedwith said shaft. The gears I8 and 80 are meshed with gears 84 and 86 respectively, the latter gears being drivably connected to a drive shaft 88 which is coupled at one of itsends with a magnetic slip clutch and final drive 89 and at its other end with a similar drive mechanism, not shown. The sliding clutch 82 is actuated by means of a crank 80 forked at its end to embrace the gear, all as disclosed in Figures 2andl0. As disclosed in Figure 2 the crank 80 is connected to theupper end of a shaft '82 and this shaft is journalled in bearings not shown. To the lower end ofthe shaft 82 there is connected a crank 94 lying outside the casing of the transmission; To operate the unit 54 the crank 80 is rotated to mesh the clutch 82 with the gear 80 to establish the unit in its high gear setting, or meshthe clutch 82 with the gear I8 to establish the unit in its low gear setting or position the clutch 82 in its transmission neutral position as disclosed in Figure 10, that is in position between the gears "and 80 and out of mesh therewith. I

Briefly describing the unit 55 the same includes a sliding gear 90 slidably mounted on and drivably connected withthe shaft 14, said gear being either moved into mesh with an idler gear 88 to eflect a low gearsetting of the transmission unit or into mesh with agear I to effect a reverse gear setting of the transmission unit. The idler gear 98 is in constant mesh with a gear I02 drivably connected with the drive shaft 88. The nest of gears 56 are shown diagrammatically in Figure 10, the idler gear 5 98 being shown out of its true position, that is a position beneath the gear I02 where it may be meshed with the sliding gear 96. The latter gearv is preferably operated by the forked end of a crank I04, Figures 2 and 10, and is shown in its transmission neutral position in Figure 10, that is a. position where it is out of mesh with both the gear I00and the gear I02. As disclosed in Figure2 the crank. I04 is connected to the upper end of a shaft I08 Journalled in bearings, not shown. Tothelower end of the shaft there is connected acrank I08 lying outside'the casing of the transmission.

. Referring now to Figures Land2 disclosing one embodiment of the six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention there is provided a manuallyv operated selector mechanism positioned adjacent the driver's seat- I2... .This mechanism, as withthecorresponding selector mechanism disclosed in Figure 3,,includestwo levers and the parts ofsaid, mechanism are so constructed and arrangedthat itis possiblegto move one or the otheroij said levers. toestablish one or the other of theunits i4 and Jilin gear the positions I to 4 inclusive, outlines another letter H in successively moving tothe positions '3 to 6 inclusive and outlines yet another letter H in successively moving to the positions I, 2, I and 6. These. gear shifting movements ofthelever.

IIO are efiected in cooperation withan operation of thelever II2, all as isudescribed hereinafter. As disclosed in Figure 2;the lever H2 extends thrcugh a slot in the top plate II 5 and, as described above, may be moved from its. transmission neutral position, that is the position of the lever disclosed in Figure 2, to either, its low gear position, indicated, by the .word ;Low, or to its reverse gear positionindicated by Rev, when and only when the lever H0 is positioned somewhere in the slot I, 2 thatis when the transmission unit 04isneutralized. H I i 1 Continuing the description of the transmission operating mechanism disclosed in Figures 1 and 2, the selector levers H0 and H2 are connected by three separate force transmitting meanswith the aforementioned cranks 80, 84 and I04. Describing these three force transmitting *means and associated parts including interlock means, thereare provided two support members H6 and H8, Figure 2, secured to some part of the chassis of the tank or a part fixedly securedthereto. The support member H6 is provided. with two cylindrical openings, one oirsaid openings receiving therethrough a rod I20 havingbiiurcated ends. The lever H2 is straddled by thefurcations of one end of the rod I20 and a pin I22 extending through said furcationsand lever serves as a means for pivotally connecting said lever and rod. The lever H2 is pivotally mounted,- that is fulcrumed, upon a pin I24 extending throughsaid lever intermediate its endsand through thewfurcations of the bifurcated end of. a curved :support arm I28 securedto and extending from the support member H8. The lever H0 is pivotally mounted, intermediateits ends, upon a pin I28 extending ,throughsaid lever and the furcations ofthe bifurcated end of a curved arm I30. The

latter arm is preferablyfcylindrically shaped at. 4, said end being;

its lower end I32, Figure sleeved over and keyed by a pin Il4, to a tubular member I38 which extendsthrough one-of the openings in support member IIi. Through the lower end of the lever ,IIO there extendsca pin I31, the ends of said pin extending through fur cations of the bifurcated render a rod I38; and

said rod extends throughthe tubular member I 35.

Completingthe description of the force trans 7 mitting means interconnecting the lever II2 with' the crank I88, the furcations at one end of the rod I28 receive a pin I40 which extends through the end of one arm of a bell crank lever I42 which is pivotally mounted on a portion of the support member II8, all as disclosed in Figure 2. A rod I44, bifurcated at both of its ends, is pivotally connected at one of said ends, to an arm of the I and through a crank 2I2 pivotally mounted upon,

bell crank lever I42 and is pivotally connected at its other end to the aforementioned crank I88. The nest of gears 88 is therefore connected with the selector lever I I2 by force transmitting means including rod m, bell crank lever m, rod in,

crank I88, shaft I88 and crank I84.

. Completing the description of the force transmitting means for operating the nest of gears 84, the tubular member I88 is enlarged at one of its ends to provide a hub portion I48 from which extends a crank I48. The upper end of the arm I48 is pivotally connected to a link I 82, Figure I, said link being welded at I84 to a relativel short nipple I 88. As disclosed in Figure 1 a flexible conduit I88 is connected to interconnected pipes I88 and I82, the latter being connected to the intake manifold of the internal combustion engine 28. The nipple I58 is connected at I84 to a hollow rod and the other end of said rod is tightly fitted within a recess in the end of a spool-shaped valve member I88. Reaction lever members I10 and I12, Figure 2, are pivotally connected intermediate their ends, to a pin I14 mounted in the furcations of the bifurcated end of a link H8 pivotally connected at its other end to the aforementioned crank 84. The pin I14 extends through an opening in the crank I48 to make possible a relative movement of said crank and the lever members I10 and I12, all as described hereinafter. The construction and arrangement ofthe lever members I10 and I12 and crank I48 duplicate the corresponding elements of the mechanism disclosed in Figure 6. This figure of the drawing discloses a part of the force transmitting means interconnecting the lever H and transmission unit 82. The lever members I and I12 are pivotally connected by a pin I18 to the crank I48 and the upper ends of said members are pivotally connected by a pin I80 to the yoke-shaped end I82 of a hollow connecting rod I84. The arms of the yoke I82 straddle the link I82 and nipple I 58, all as disclosed in Figures 7, 8, and 9. The pin I80 extends through an opening in the end of the crank I48, thereby making possible a relative movement of the crank I48 and lever members I10 and I12. The power element, that is piston I88, ofa pressure differential operated motor I88 is fixedly secured to a, hereinafter described valve member I88 constituting the end portion of the connecting rod I84, said piston being reciprocable within the cylinder I90 of said motor. As disclosed in Figure 2 the motor I88 is pivotally mounted by a ball and socket connection I82, to an arm portion of the support 8'. The aforementioned end portion I80 of the hollow rod- I84 is ported at I84, I98, I88 and 200, said portion thereby constituting one of the two parts of the control valve of the motor I88, the remaining part being the aforementioned spool-shaped member I88. This valve member I88 is bored, as disclosed in Figures 7, 8 and 9, to provide ducts 202 and 204.

Describing now the third of the transmission operating force transmitting means, namely that force transmitting means for operating the transmission unit 82, the lever IIO, as previously described, is pivotally connected at its lower end to the rod I88 which'is slidably mounted within aforementioned tubular member I88. closed in Figures 2 and 8 the rod I88 is bifurcated at its other end and a pin 208 extends through the furcations of saidend portion, through the lower end of reaction lever members 288 and III a pin 2 tightly fitted within a recess in a 901'- tion of the support member III. The furcations of the bifurcated end of a rod 2I8 are pivotally connected by a pin 2I8 to the lever members 288 and 2I8, said pin as disclosed in Figure 8, extending through an. opening in the crank 2I2. The rod 2I8 is pivotally connected at 228 to the aforementioned crank 88 extending from the lower end of the shaft 84.

The remainder of the force transmitting means for operating the transmission operating unit 82 consists of a pressure differential operated motor 222 and the connection between the power element of said motor and the above described reaction levers 288 and III. The construction and arrangement of the parts of said connections, the

Referring now to Figure 4, there is disclomd therein one of the important features of the invention disclosed in Figure 2,-that is the interlock means cooperating with the slotted cover plate I I5 01' the box I I4 to make possible a gear selecting operation of the nest of gears 88 when and only when the transmission unit '84 is neutralized; also to make possible a gear selecting operation of the nest of gears 84 when and only when the nest 58 is neutralized. This interlock means consists of a pin 224 housed within a slot in the support member II8, said slot extending parallel or substantially parallel to the base of said member. The'ends of the pin 224 are rounded, one

end being adapted to fit within an opening 228 in the tubular member I88 and the other end within a recess 228 in the rod I20. The operation of this interlock mechanism is described hereinafter.

Describing now the operation of the above described transmission operating mechanism, that is the mechanism disclosed in Figures 1, 2, 4, 6. 7, 8, 9 and 10, when the driver wishes to start the tank in motion in first gear or what may also be termed low, low gear, he will probably first disengage the friction clutch by depressing the clutch pedal I8 regardless of whether or not the transmission unit 52 is in neutral. Then after the engine is cranked, thereby idling the same to create a source of vacuum in the intake manifold, the driver will, if the three units 52, 84'and 88 are not alread neutralized, move the selector levers II 0 and I I2 to the positions disclosed in Figure 2, that is their position to neutralize said transmission units. The lever H2 is then positioned in the center of the low reverse slot in the plate II5 and the lever H0 is positioned in the center of the slot which may be defined as slot I, 2 and is also positioned in the center of the cross-over slot indicated by the letters C and 0 and extending across the plate II5. Now when the selector lever I I0 is in its transmission neutral position as disclosed in Figure 2 the pin 224 registers with the opening 226 in the tubular member I88 thereby making it possible to move the lever II2 to either its low gear or reverse gear position AsdIsanswer 0 indicated by the aforementioned indicia "Low" and "Rev" in Figure 2; for upon examining rigure 4 it will be noted that when the rod III is moved in either direction the pin :24 will be moved bodily, one end of the same moving into the opening 226 and the other end being forced out of the recess m.

At this juncture it is also to be noted that by virtue of the abovedescribed interlock mechanism it is not possible to move the selector lever Ill laterally to operate the unit 54 if the selector lever H2 is in either its low gear or reverse gear position; for when the unit I is established in either low or reverse gear the end of the pin 224 is positioned in the opening 22. thereby preventing a rotation of the lever l is. In other words, as stated above, it is impossible by virtue of the interlock mechanism of the invention. to establish the unit 84 in gear when the unit I is in gear and vice versa it is impossible to establish the unit II in gear when the unit I! is in gear.

Continuing the description of the operation of the mechanism to establish the transmission mechanism in low, low gear, the driver will move the shift lever lllto the position marked "Low" thereby manually operating the crank "I to establish the unit It in its low gear setting. The driver will then move the selector lever ill to its low gear position, that is the position indicated by the reference numeral I, thereby establishing the unit 52 in its low gear setting and establishing the entire transmission mechanism in its low, low or first gear setting.

Describing now the operation of the pressure differential operated motor 222 which description also applies to the motor III. the two motors being of identical construction; and also describing the operation of the force transmitting means interconnecting the selector lever III with the crank 68, when said lever is moved from its transmission neutral position toward its low gear position, the rod m is tensioned to move the same to the left, Figure 2, thereby rotating the crank 2|! counterclockwise and rotating the reaction levers III and 2H! clockwise about the pin ill. The pin II! is held stationary at this time inasmuch as the force necessary to move the rod Ill and the sliding clutch 58 connected thereto is greater than the force required to move the piston of the motor 222 to the right, Figure 2. At this juncture it is to be remembered thatas to the motor 222, the piston, valve and other parts therein are duplicates of the corresponding parts of the motor Ill disclosed in Figures 7. 8 and 9. In the following description of the motor 222 reference will be made therefor to the parts of the motor I". Now the aforementioned rotation of crank 2i! and the reaction levers III and IIO results in a relatively quick valve opening movement of the valve members Ill and III; for the piston I and the valve member ill connected therewith are moved to the right, Figure 2, and the valve'member III is moved to the left. Referring now to Figures 7 and 9,the piston I I6 and the valve member II! will, with this operation, be moved to the left from the transmission neutral position of said members disclosed in Figure 7; and the valve member I" will be moved to the right. The valve members then assume the relative positions disthe operation of p closed in Figure 9; however, said members will a be located near the center of the cylinder III.

A compartment 230 of the pressure differential operated motor is'by this valve opening or valve cracking operation connect d to the intake maniare, with the eflect this meshing of the gears,

said work and the amount of force exerted by fold of the engine 28 via a conduit 2, nipple ill, hollow rod I, duct 2 in the valve member I" and the ports in and m in the valve member I". A compartment 234 of the motor -is, by this operation of the valve mechanism, connected to the atmosphere via a nipple 23! mounted inan end plate 2" of the cylinder III. ports 2" and I in the hollow connecting rod I, the duct 20! in the valve member I, a compartment 2 outlined by the end of the rod Ill and the end of the valve member Ill, and ports I" and m in the valve member I". The compartment 231! is then partially evacuated and this results in the piston I" being subjected to a diiferential of pressures with a consequent movement to the left. Figure 2. to establish the transmission unit I! in its low gear setting; and it is to be noted that the piston Ill and the valve member I connected thereto are moved to the right in Figure 2 when the valve is opened and that these parts then reverse their direction of movement when the motor is energized, all as just described.

Now when the sliding clutch ll of the transmission unit 52 contacts the gear or other member to be meshed therewith, said clutch II will be momentarily stopped, whereupon the forcce exerted by the piston III to mesh said gears will be increased by virtue of the fact that the elllux of air from the compartment 230 is continued so long as said compartment remains connected to the intake manifold. The period of interruption of movement of the clutch 58 will of course: be of very short duration inasmuch as said, gear. which is covered with lubricant, will quickly slip into mesh with the sear to be interlocked therewith. Now it is to be noted that as a result of this interruption and the above referred to continued evacuation of air from the compartment 230, the resistance to movement of the selector lever III will be increased in direct proportion to the increase in diflerential of pressures acting on the piston Ill; and this reaction or resistance to movement of the selector lever llll is known in the art as feel. Explaining the operation of the mechanism to eflect this so-called feel, it is to be noted that the reaction levers 208 and 2N above described operation of the force transmitting linkage, acting as levers of the first class, the fulcrum of said levers being located atthe pin M8 and the two loads upon the levers being exerted at their ends. It follows therefore that asthe load exerted by the piston I" increases, said load being applied at the pin III, the load exerted by the physicaleilort of the driver increases,

pin 2". It follows therefore that throughout the said load being applied at the entire operation of moving the clutch 58 from its transmission neutral position to its meshed position the driver will do a part of the work to the amount of the driver being directly proportional to that effected by the pressure differential operated motor.

It is also to be noted that the above described transmission operating mechanism provides what is known in the art as a follow-up control of the motor; for if perchance the driver should stop the movement of the selector lever Ill before the gear ll abuts the clutch or other member with which it is meshed then the movement of the pin ill will be stopped. The movement of the pin III will, however. be continued until the valve mechanism is lapped to place the systear in equilibrium. Describing this lapping op- 11' eration of the valve mechanism and referring to Figure'9, when the valve part I88 is moved to the right sufllciently to brin the ports I98 and 208 over a land portion 248 of the valve member I88, then the compartment 238 will be cut off from the intake manifold and the parts of the mechanism will remain in their then existing relative positions, that is the lapped position of the valve mechanism, until the selector lever I I8 is again moved to crack the valve mechanism.

It is also to be noted that if for any reason the motor 222 should fail to function the transmission unit 52 would then be operated solely by the physical effort of the driver; for after the clearance between the pin 2I8 and the surrounding opening in the crank 2I2 is taken up, then the rod 2I8 would be moved solely by said physical effort.

At this juncture it may also be observed that if thetransmission units 52 and54 are each equipped with a synchronizing mechanism to provide what is known in the art as a synchro-mesh transmission, then the above described follow-up feel operations of the transmission operating mechanism of my invention will be particularly effective to control the operation of said transmission units; thus when the clutches or blockers of said synchro-mesh mechanism are operating to synchronize the speeds of the gears to be meshed. the driver will, by virtue of the above described resistance to movement of the selector lever I Ill, be conscious of the operation of the synchronizing mechanism and will probably refrain from unnecessarily forcing the selector lever toward its gear established position. During the operation of the synchronizing mechanism the control valve, by virtue of the yielding of the clutch facings of the synchronizing mechanism, will probably be lapped thereby limiting the force exerted by the pressure differential operated motor.

Briefly reviewing the description of the operation of the piston and valve parts, when the transmission unit 52 is in its neutral position, said piston and valve parts are in the position disclosed in Figure 7 and when said transmission unit is established in its low gear setting the piston and valve parts are in the positions disclosed in Figure 9.

Continuing now the description of the operation of the power plant as a whole, the transmission mechanism havin been established in its low, low setting by the above described operation of placing the transmission units .52 and 58 in their low gear settings, the driver then re-engages the friction clutch by releasing the clutch pedal I8 and at the same time depresses the accelerator 28 to open the throttle and speed up the engine. When the tank has reached the desired speed in the low, low setting of the transmission, the driver will then probably operate the transmission to establish the same in its high, low, that is second gear, setting. This is effected by first disengaging the friction clutch to uncouple the engine from the transmission mechanism and then moving the selector lever III! from its low gear position to its high gear position indicated by the reference numeral 2, Figure 2. With this operation, the rod I38 is placed in compression thereby effecting a counterclockwise rotation of the valve operating reaction levers 288 and 2H! and aclockwise rotation of the valve operating crank 2I2. The motor 222 is thus again energized and this Qpq 12 eration of the motor serves, together with the physical effort of the driver, to establish the transmission unit 52 in its high'gear position. As to this operation of the motor 222 and the other parts of the force transmitting means for operating the transmission unit 52, the cycle of operations of the valve operating and force transmitting linkage will not be given in detail inasmuch as said operations are merely the reverse of the heretofore described operations for effecting the low gear setting of said transmission unit. It will suflice to say that the valve members I88 and I89 are first moved from the relative positions disclosed in Figure 9 to the relative positions disclosed in Figure 8, not the actual positions of these parts as disclosed in Figure 8, whereupon the compartments 234 and 280 are connected to the intake manifold and the atmosphere respectively. The piston I86 then moves to the left to the position disclosed in Figure 8 thereby moving the clutch member 58 to its meshed position to establish th transmission unit 52 in its high gear position. The transmission mechanism as a whole is then established in its second gear setting. As to the above described follow-up operation of the valve members and the feel or resistance to movement of the selector lever, these functions of the mechanism are the same as those previously described in effecting the low, low or first gear setting of the transmission mechanism.

The transmission mechanism having been es- 1 tablished in its second gear setting, the driver will then re-engage the friction clutch and depress the accelerator to increase the speed of the tank.

The desired speed of the tank having been attained the driver may then desire to establish the transmission mechanism in its third speed setting. As before, the accelerator is first released and the friction clutch disengaged whereupon the driver neutralizes the transmission units 52 and 58 by returnin the selector levers III! and II2 to their transmission neutral positions shown in Figure 2; and then the driver rotates the selector lever III) to the right, Figure 2, into the center of the slot 8, 4, that is the position indicated by the letter O. This operation serves to rotate the tubular member I88 clockwise thereby rotating the crank I48 clockwise and the reaction levers I18 and I12 counterclockwise. This operation is possible inasmuch as the pin I14 is, for the reason described above, at the time stationary thereby acting as a fulcrum for the levers I10 and I12 and the crank I48 is provided with a relatively large opening, not shown, through which said pin extends. The valve members I88 and I88 of the motor I88 are therefore moved in opposite directions to crank the valve and the valve member I89 at the hub of the pieton, then reverse its direction of movement, all as previously described. As previously described the motor I88 is thus energized, the crank I48 being moved counterclockwise thereby moving the gear 82 into mesh with the clutch 18 to establish the transmission unit 54 in its low gear setting. f

To complete the third speed setting of the transmission mechanism the driver then moves the selector lever I In in the slot 8, 4 to the end of said slot indicated by thereference numeral 8. Figure 2; and this operation serves to repeat the above described low gear operation of the force transmitting means for operating the transmission 52, In other words, the transmission 3 unit 52 is again established in its low gear setting after the transmisson unit 54 is established in its low gear setting. The driver then re-engages the friction clutch and speeds up the tank to attain the desired speed in the third speed setting of the transmission.

To establish the transmission in its fourth gear ratio setting the driver, after again releasing the accelerator and disengaging the friction clutch to reverse the torque, moves the selector lever I In to its fourth speed position indicated by the reference numeral 4 in Figure 2; and this operation serves to repeat the above described operation of establishing the transmission unit52 in its high gear setting. The driver then reengages the friction clutch and depresses the accelerator to attain the desired speed of the tank.

To establish the transmission mechanism in its fifth gear ratio setting the driver, after releasing the accelerator, will in succession disengage the friction clutch, neutralize the transmission unit 52 by returning the selector lever I I!) to its transmission neutral position 0, then move said lever laterally through the cross-over slot C, into the position C in the slot 5, 8 and lastly will move the lever HD to the position indicated by the reference numeral 5. This cross-over operation of the selector lever H0 serves to effect an operation of the motor I88 to establish the transmission unit 54in its high gear setting, the operation of the reaction levers I10 and I12 and crank I48 being just the reverse of the above described operation of said parts in establishing said transmission unit in its low gear position; and by moving the lever I In from the position C to the position in the slot 5, 5 the motor 222 is again energized to again establish the transmission unit 52 in its low gear setting.

To complete the forward speed cycle of shifting operations of the six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission mechanism III, the driver, after the tank has attained the desired speed in the fifth speed setting of said transmission mechanism, moves the selector lever llfl to the position indicated by the reference numeral 6 in Figure 2; and this operation serves to again establish the transmission unit 52 in its high gear setting and complete the operation of establishing the transmission mechanism III in its sixth speed setting.

To effect the two reverse speed settings of the transmission mechanism Ill the driver first brings the tank to a stop with the engine idling whereupon he neutralizes the transmission units 52 and 54 by moving the selector lever H0 to the positions disclosed in Figure 2. He then, in succession, moves the selector lever Hi) to its reverse speed position and the selector lever H2 to either its first or second speed positions depending of course upon the gear ratio desired.

There is disclosed in Figure 3 another embodiment of the transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention. Referring to this figure this embodiment of my invention dupli cates the previously described embodiment disclosed in Figure 2 with the exception of the force transmitting means for operating the transmission unit 55; and there is also a simplification of the support member adjacent the box housing the selector levers. Those parts of the mechanism of Figure 3 which are duplicates of the corresponding parts in the mechanism of Figure 2 are indicated by the reference numerals of the latter parts plus a prime. Describing the mechanism disclosed in Figure 3 which differs from the mechanism of Figure 2. I

the mechanism of Figure 3 includes a box 25! which maybe detachably secured to the floor of thetank adjacent the driver's seat. This box, the sides and slotted top of which are preferably detachably secured together, serves to house selector levers Ill and 252 and a support member 254 which is preferably detachably secured in position. The two force transmitting means interconnecting the lever I It with the transmission units 52 and 54, Figure 12. will not be described ln detail inasmuch as said means duplicate the force transmitting means of the mechanism disclosed in Figure 2.

Describing in detail the force transmitting means for operating the transmission unit 55 the selector lever 252 extends through a slot in the top plate of the box 250 and is enlarged at its lower end to provide a hub portion 255, Figure 5, which is sleeved over and secured by a key 255 to a tubular shaft 258. As disclosed in Figure 5, the shaft 258 telescopingly receives a tubular member I36 and a rod I38. the latter being fitted within the member I35. The other end of the shaft 258 is enlarged to provide a hub member 250 to which is secured a crank 252; and the force transmitting means interconnecting the crank 262 with the sliding gear of the transmission unit 56 includes a rod I44, pivotally connected at one of its ends to said crank 252 and at its other end to a crank IN. The crank I08 is connected to a shaft Ill lournalled in bearings in the casing of the transmission I5; and a crank I04 forked at its end to embrace the gear 92 and connected to the shaft I05 completes the connection.

There is also provided, in the mechanism disclosed in Figure 3 means for preventing a mesh ing of gears of either the transmission unit 54 or the unit 56 when the other of said transmission units is established in gear. As disclosed in Fisure 5 this interlock means consists of a pin 254 extending through an opening in the support member 254, said pin having rounded ends, one end 266 adapted to fit within a recess in the hub 255 when and only when the lever 252 is in its transmission neutral position and the other end 258 of said pin adapted to fit within a re cess in a hub member 210 of a curved arm Ill when and only when the lever H0 is .in position to neutralize the transmission unit 54. With this construction it is apparent that the selector lever H0 may be rotated to establish the transmission unit 54 in gear when and only when the selector lever 252 is in its transmission neutral position as disclosed in Figure 3; and the selector lever 252 may be rotated to establish the transmission unit 52 in gear when and only when the selector lever I I0 is located somewhere in the slot I, 2, preferably the center thereof.

The operation of the transmission operating mechanism of Figure 2 having been described in detail, it will not be necessary to describe at great length the operation of the mechanism disclosed in Figure 3. Suflice it to say that having moved the selector lever IIO' into the slot l, 2 to thereby neutralize the transmission unit 54, the selector lever 252 may then be moved to either its reverse or low gear position. Should any one of the third, fourth, fifth or sixth forward speed settings of the transmission mechanism be desired the driver, after reversing the driving torque by releasing the accelerator and disengaging the friction clutch, will first neutralize the transmission unit 56 by moving the selector lever 252 to its transmission neutral position N and he will then operate the transmission units 52 and 54 by moving the lever IIO' to the position to effect these operations, that is to any one of the positions numbered 3, 4, or 6 in the top plate of the box 250.

There is thus provided, as exemplified in the above described two embodiments of my invention, a simple and compact mechanism for operating a six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission mechanism of a motor vehicle, said transmission mechanism including two transmission units one of which preferably includes two separate units or nests of ars; and the motor vehicle having said transmission mechanism incorporated therein may be either a tank or an automotive vehicle.

In both of these embodiments the transmission operating mechanism constituting my invention preferably includes three separate transmission operating force transmitting means, two of which may include power means; and these three force transmitting means are actuated by a manually operated selector lever mechanism, including two lever members and interlock mechanism the parts of which are so constructed and arranged and so operative that one or the other of the nests of gears constituting one of the transmission units is neutralized before the remaining nest of gears may be operated to establish a gear setting.

This application is a division of my copending U. S. application No. 472,199, filed January 13, 1943.

Although only two embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, various :hanges in the form and relative arrangements of the parts maybe made to suit requirements.

I claim:

1. In an automotive vehicle including two transmission units which cooperate to provide a six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission mechanism, means for operating said mechanism including a plurality of cranks connected to the transmission units, two separate manually operable shift levers conveniently mounted adjacent the drivers seat of the vehicle, force transmitting means interconnecting one of said levers with one of said transmission units, force transmitting means interconnecting the other of said levers with said transmission unit. means interlocking said two force transmitting means whereby either one of said levers may be actuated when and only when the remaining lever is established in a certain setting, and other force transmitting means interconnecting one of said two levers with the remaining transmission unit.

2. In a motor vehicle having a change-speed transmission mechanism consisting of two change-speed units connected in series and which mechanism is capable of establishing six different forward gear settings and two reverse gear settings, means for operating said transmission mechanism comprising three separate cranks extending from the casing of the transmission each crank being connected to gear operating means within the transmission casing and each crank having three operative positions and means for actuating said cranks including two manually operated levers positioned adjacent the drivers seat of the vehicle and further including means interconnecting said levers and cranks comprising two bearing members, a tubular member operably associated with the bearing members, means secured at one of its ends to one end of said tubular member and at its other end to one of said lever members, a rod telescoped within said tubular member and connected at one of its ends with one end of the last mentioned lever member, means interconnecting one end of said tubular member and one of said cranks, means interconnecting one end of said rod with another of said cranks and means interconnecting the other of the two aforementioned lever members with one of said cranks.

3. In a motor vehicle having a change-speed transmission mechanism consisting of two change-speed units connected in series and which mechanism may be established in any one of six different forward gear settings or two different reverse gear settings; means for operating said transmission mechanism comprising three separate crank extending from the casing of the transmission mechanism, each crank being connected to gear operating means within the transmission mechanism and each crank having three operative positions, and means for actuating said cranks including two manually operated levers positioned adjacent the drivers seat of the vehicle, one of said levers constituting a part of the means for operating two of the aforementioned cranks and the other lever constituting a part of the means for operatin the third crank, and means interconnecting said levers and cranks comprising interlock means for controlling the operation of said levers in their operation of actuating two of said cranks by preventing a gearmeshing movement of either one of said levers when the remaining lever is positioned out of its transmission neutral position.

4. In a motor vehicle having a change-speed transmission consisting of two change-speed units connected in series, said mechanism being c'apable of being established in any one of six different forward gear settings or two different reverse gear settings; means for operating said transmission comprising three separate cranks extending from the casing of the transmission, each crank being connected to gear operating means within the transmission casing and each crank having three operative positions, and means for actuating said cranks including two manually operated levers positioned adjacent the driver's seat of the vehicle and further including means interconnecting said levers and cranks comprising two bearing members, a tubular member journalled at its ends in said bearing members, means secured at one of its ends to one end of said tubular member and at its other end to one of said lever members, a rod telescoped within said tubular member and connected at one of its ends with one end of the last mentioned lever member, means including a pressure differential operated motor interconnecting one end of said tubular member and one of said cranks, means including a pressure differential operated motor interconnecting one end of said rod with another of said cranks, and means interconnecting the other of the two aforementioned lever members with one of said cranks.

5. In a motor vehicle having a change-speed transmission mechanism consisting of two change-speed units connected in series and which mechanism may be established in any one of six different forward gear settings or two different reverse gear settings; means for operating said transmission mechanism comprisingthree separate cranks extending from the casing of the transmission, each crank being connected to gear operating means within the transmission and each crank having three operative positions, and

means for actuating said cranks including two manually operated levers positioned adjacent the drivers seat of the vehicle, and means interconnecting said levers and cranks including interlock means constituting part of the means for three separate force transmitting means connected with said transmission mechanism, manually operated lever mechanism including a lever member having an H-movement, and another lever member interlocked with the aforementioned lever member and having two operative positions to stablish certain of said gears in mesh and movable in but one plane; and means, including a plurality of shafts and a plurality of pressure difierential operated motors, intercom necting said lever mechanism and force transmitw ting means the parts of said interconnecting means and lever mechanism being so constructed and so arranged that the last mentioned lever member may be operated to in part effect either one of two relatively low forward gear settings of the transmission or either one of the two reverse gear settings of the transmission provided the first mentioned lever member is positioned to effect a neutralization of a certain Part of the transmission.

7. In a motor vehicle having a change-speed transmission which may be established in any one of six different forward speed settings or two different reverse speed settings comprising two separate change-speed units connected in series; power means for operating said transmission mechanism comprising three cranks connected to the transmission mechanism, two interlocked manually operated lever members mounted ad- J'acent the drivers seat 01' the vehicle, two separate pressure differential operated motors, force transmitting means interconnecting one of said lever members, the two motors, and two of said cranks, and other force transmitting means interconnecting the other lever member with the remaining crank.

8. In a motor vehicle having a change-speed transmission mechanism which may be established in any one of six different forward speed settings, or two different reverse speed settings said mechanism comprising two separate transmission units connected in series, means for operating said transmission mechanism comprising three cranks connected to the transmission mechanism, two of said cranks serving to operate one of the transmission units, two manually operated interlocked lever members, force transmitting means, including a plurality of pressure differential operated motors, interconnecting one of said lever members and two of said cranks. and other force transmitting means interconnecting the other lever member with the remain- 8 crank.

9. In a motor vehicle having as a part of its power plant a six speeds forward and two speeds reverse transmission consisting of two changespeed transmission units connected in series; means for operating said transmission comprising interlocked manually operated lever mechanism, and means, including a plurality of shafts and a plurality of pressure differential operated motors, interconnecting said lever mechanism and transmission, the parts of said lever mechanism being so constructed and arranged that a part of said mechanism may be operated to in part effect one or the other of two relatively low gear settings of the transmission or one or the otherof two reverse gear settings of the transmission provided another part of said lever mechanism is positioned to effect a neutralization of a certain part of the transmission.

10. In an automotive vehicle provided with a six speeds forward and two speeds reverse changespeed transmission mechanism consisting of two transmission units, one of said units including two separate nests of gears and the other of said units including but one nest of gears, means for operating said transmission units comprising two lever members one of said members constituting part of themeans for operating one of the aforementioned two separate nests of gears and also constituting part of the means for operating the nests of gears in the second mentioned unit, and

the other of said lever members constitutingpart' of the means for operating the other of the aforementioned two separate nests of gears, and means interconnecting said lever members and transmission mechanism comprising a plurality of pressure diiferential operated motors, the parts of the aforementioned mechanism being so constructed and arranged that the gears of either of said two separate nests of gears must he neutralized before the gears of the other nest may be operated to establish a gear setting.

HAROLD W. PRICE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 948,583 Barnes Feb. 8, 1910 983,864 Smith Feb. 7, 1911 1,081,763 Meyers Dec. 16, 1913 1,172,341 Bullard. Feb. 22, 1916 1,184,874 Rider May 30, 1916 1,629,666 Keeler May 24, 1927 1,993,015 Moorhouse Mar. 5, 1935 1 2,203,296 F'leischel June 4, 1940 2,323,384 Eberhardt July 6, 1943 2,355,626 Bullard Aug. 15, 1944 2,388,763 Randol Nov. 13, 1945 2,426,722 Baade Sept. 2, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 27,422 Great Britain -1 Dec. 12, 1902 8,791 Great Britain Apr, 22, 1908 23,139 Great Britain Oct. 6, 1910 293,006 Germany July 11, 1916 334,067 Germany Mar. 7, 1921 Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,523. ,7 01 November 28, 1950 HAROLD W. PRICE It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Column 4, line 10, for lower read power; column 10, line 26, for forcce read force; line 70, for gear read clutch; same line, for clutch read gear; column 11, line 28, for thus read for; column 12, line 65, for gear read clutch; same line, for clutch read gear; column 17, line 24, for stablish read establish; line 44:, strike out power; line 58, after settings, first occurrence, strike out the comma, and insert the same after settings, second occurrence, same line; column 18, line 30, for nests read nest;

and that the said Letters Patent should be read as corrected above, so that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oifice.

Signed and sealed this 6th day of November, A. D. 1951.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

Assistant Gommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

